Review of the Ruffwear Quick Draw™ Leash

Sheila Goss and Gryphon Backcountry K-9 Brand Ambassador
April , 2015

Disclosure #1 I received this leash from http://backcountryk9.com/ to test it out and review it, in my role as a brand ambassador. Disclosure #2 I liked this nifty little collar/leash so much, I just purchased a second one for our other dog.

The Ruffwear Quick Draw leash is a short leash, with a tab grab handle. The leash clips onto the dog’s collar with a nice , lightweight but strong clip…then, the leash goes around the dog’s neck, over the collar, and secures with a Velcro attachment. The leash is lightweight, has a nice reflective strip, and stays in place well. My dog ignored this new attachment, and seemed oblivious to its presence.

This leash design would be ideally suited for those folks who may walk ,hike, or snowshoe with their dog off-leash. We all know that for off-leash dogs, there are times and places when a leash is indicated. With this leash, you just grab the tab on the leash, pull the Velcro, and you have a short leash ( 20-27 inches). I often see folks fumbling for their leashes in their pockets, or suddenly remembering they forgot the leash….this leash eliminates those circumstances. Even for our dogs, who wear harnesses with trekking lines, it is sometimes handy to have a short leash to guide them near rambunctious dogs, or other distractions.

I did note that the grab tab is not a large leash handle loop; I found I would give the end of the leash a short wrap around my hand, for added security. Also, while wearing bulky winter gloves, it can be hard to grasp the tab.

We tried the leash with both of our dogs, and over different types of collars and found it worked fine with any collar. The collar fits neck sizes 14 to 22 inches, so we could share the collar between two dogs, with an easy adjustment for size difference. The length of the possible leash depends on the dog’s collar neck size
( the larger the collar, the shorter the leash).

It was nice to have this collar while skijoring…the pulling harness we use is not great for guiding dogs from the front. At the trailhead, which is near the busiest road in the county, I was able to use this leash to guide my skijoring pup back to the car safely. No matter how “perfect” my dog’s recall and heeling may be, all it would take would be one random chattering squirrel, to possibly place my dog in danger.

We are very excited to give the leash a try as we start our canoeing season. We use leashes to walk to dogs to and from launch sites, since there are often other animals in the area (for example, porcupines!), and there may be broken glass or other dangers in the area. Once in the canoe, we do not want any hanging leashes or lines that could cause entanglement, should the canoe capsize. However, we want to have a leash available, for our loading and unloadings, as well as to guide the dogs in the water should we all end up swimming. Previously, our best solution had been to coil up their 6 foot leashes, and secure to their life jacket handle with gear-ties. The Quick Draw leash will be worn by each of the dogs as we paddle…once we need a leash, quick pull on the tab, and we’re all set!

The leash can be obtained from http://www.backcountryk9.com/Products/Ruffwear-Quick-Draw. I feel it is well worth the 19.95 suggested price, as it is well made, durable, and definitely is a helpful piece of gear.